Forsooth, 'tis that time in the turning of the seasons when the triumph and tragedy of The Bard take the stage at ye olde Potter Center. Boy, what a lousy Shakespeare impression. It's not even in iambic pentameter. Anyway, you know what I'm getting at.

Previews for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival's productions of "All's Well That Ends Well" and "Julius Caesar" are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Regular performances begin July 17 and run through July 27 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

And let us not forget the children's show, "3 Spinning Fairies," which this year is free for adults and children alike. Performances are at 10:30 a.m. July 19 and 26 in the Potter Center's Ruth Day Theater.

In addition to the short blurb in this week's In Town and around, keep an eye on the Entertainment section in Sunday's Citizen Patriot, which will have a complete look at this year's festival, including synopses, actor profiles and interviews with artistic director John Neville-Andrews.

Either way, I predict that Saturday's concert with the Rhythm Society Orchestra, one of metro Detroit's most popular big bands, is going to be pretty popular, too (though perhaps not four-digit popular). Also this week at the Rotary Bandshell is the Chelsea House Orchestra, which had its concert last month rescheduled due to the never-ending string of severe weather we've had.

Erik Holladay, Citizen PatriotDid I mention the face painting? Oh, there will be face painting at the Learning Fair, much like the design that Kenny Vigneau painted on Kavaciae Overton's cheek last year.

According to Learning Fair director Amanda Leja (via SAU's press release), the point of the annual event is "to help families see, experience and appreciate the relationship between artisans, creativity and manufacturing." Sounds fine, but not nearly as cool as what's actually going to be happening this year:

"Team Model T" will be disassembling and reassembling a Model T Ford before your very eyes at noon today and 10 a.m. Friday.

"A mother's love endures through all," said Washington Irving, and I think ol' Sleepy Hollow was onto something. "A Mother's Love" is also the title of the latest play coming to the Michigan Theatre via T. Rose Productions of Lansing.

Here's the synopsis that was sent to me:

The main female character (Jean) is a professional black divorced woman who is raising her two teen aged sons (Gary and Derrick) alone, along with trying to maintain a social life with her friends and co-workers (Gwen and Debra) and have a love life with a male friend (Calvin).

Problems arise when Jean, in anticipation of possible downsizing, takes Derrick out of private school and puts him in public school with his older brother to save money. Derrick, being a sheltered teen, has a hard time adjusting to public school and questions his blackness. He gets no support from his older brother, Gary, who through jealousy makes things even harder for him. Gary's jealousy also hinders his mother's love life as he continues to drive away any man he feels is getting too close to her. Derrick feels his mother is too busy with her work to understand his problems and decides to handle things his own way. Tragedy is diverted between the boys when Calvin, after being driven away, returns."

The playwright, Brenda Cornish, told me, "It's a drama, and it's a drama everyone can relate to, especially single mothers."

Since I had such a good time the last time The Ark booked an ostensible rock band that makes a big, noisy mess of roots music, I'm looking forward to this show, too. Blanche is a Detroit band that most often gets pegged as "alt-country," but a more accurate description might be "eerie, gothic rock music with electric guitars, banjo and pedal steel." If you've never seen them, they're a treat, and seeing them at The Ark should be just as bizarre as The Avett Brothers (whom, I have just learned, have signed with a major label and are currently recording with none other than Rick Ruben!).

I've posted the excellent "What This Town Needs" video at least once before in this blog, so in the interest of variety, here is the highly representative video for "No Matter Where You Go":